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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · plane · board · roll · mouse · staff · pitch · foot

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. roll — a cake
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. foot — a measure
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. staff — a stick
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com